Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself

One of the great adventurers of the 20th century, George Plimpton embarked on a lifelong journey akin to fictional characters such as Forrest Gump and Indiana Jones. He hung out with U.S. Presidents, played quarterback for the Detroit Lions, forced Willie Mays to pop out in Yankee Stadium, photographed Playboy models, was named the "Most Eligible Bachelor in Manhattan" by Esquire Magazine, played goalie for the Boston Bruins, struck the triangle for the New York Philharmonic and acted alongside John Wayne, Warren Beatty and Matt Damon. Some of these things he did well. Some he didn't. But they were always amusing and inspiring. Witty, sophisticated, urbane and yet a man of the people, he embodied the American optimism of 1960s and '70s. He co-founded and edited one of the most influential literary magazines in history, The Paris Review for 50 years, and in the process, he innovated a writing technique called participatory journalism. This gave Plimpton a unique perspective on the activities he wrote about, perhaps most famously with Paper Lion, a bestseller, which has never left the conversation of the greatest sports books of all-time.

FEATURED REVIEW:
Ian Buckwalter,NPRIf ever there was a man who made a virtue out of failure, it was George Plimpton. He played quarterback with the Detroit Lions without even knowing where to put his hands to take the snap. He had his nose bloodied by knockout king Archie Moore. He sweated through performances as a tr...